The statistics overturn an Atlantic-centered picture of merchant shipping losses: through 1940, Britain lost more ships in coastal waters than in the North Atlantic. Thousands of coastal convoy movements sustained power stations, industry, and preparations for the invasion of Europe. The point is not that the system avoided casualties, but that it kept essential traffic moving under persistent attack.
Notable Point · 26:06-28:48
The scale and cost of Britain's coastal shipping campaign
Loss figures show that coastal waters could be deadlier than the North Atlantic early in the war, despite the campaign's low profile in popular memory.